This invention relates not only to so-called form-fill-seal type package making machines (hereinafter referred to simply as packaging machines) for making bags from a film-like packaging material and concurrently filling them with articles to be packaged, but also to package making systems which include storage means for storing formers and films of different kinds as well as a packaging machine. More particularly, this invention relates to packaging machines and systems which allow the user to efficiently select and install an appropriate former and a correct packaging material out of many different kinds which may be available, depending upon what kinds of packages are to be produced, say, according to a given production schedule.
Consumers' needs and demands are increasing. Consider potato chips, for example. Not only potato chips with different flavors, such as salt-flavored, cheese-flavored, onion-flavored and vinegar-flavored potato chips but those with different levels of flavoring are expected to be available. Moreover, consumers want packages of various sizes available even where the articles packaged inside are the same. Since each different item of packaged goods (hereinafter referred to as item), whether different in the kind of packaged articles inside or in their weight, must be marked differently, say, by bar codes, and since certain packaging materials, such as unmarked transparent or aluminum coating films, can be used in common for different items, the manufacturer is usually required to have in store more different kinds of packaging materials (hereinafter referred to as films) than the number of different items to be produced. Similarly, formers of different sizes and designs are usually required, depending on the size and design of the bags to be formed for different items. Although the number of different formers required is generally much smaller than the total number of different films which a manufacturer is typically required to be provided with, management and handling of different films and formers are a very complicated task. In the case of potato chips which look alike but are differently flavored, for example, an error can be committed easily and packaged bags with the design not matching the contents may be produced. As another example, an inexperienced operator will not find it easy to distinguish a former of size 5 inches from another of size 5 and 1/4 inches. If a wrong former is erroneously installed, many unmerchantable products will be produced as a result. In summary, where large numbers of formers and films must be used to produce many different items, the job of selecting a correct one out of a large choice becomes cumbersome. This gives rise to the problem of lowered productivity.
At a manufacturing plant, many different items are usually produced each day according to a production schedule. After one of the items on such a schedule is selected, a correct film and a correct former corresponding to the selected item must be identified and retrieved before they can be installed on the packaging machine. This may be done by entering into an inputting device a code representing the selected item, but it is not necessarily an easy task to look up the correct code. A beginner may find it troublesome, and input errors are likely to occur.
In many situations, the schedule for a day may call for production of many different items but it may not really matter in which order they are produced. Where the film and/or the former which was used last on the day before remains installed on the packaging machine at the beginning of the day, for example, it is more efficient to start the day by producing an item for which the already installed film and/or former can be used. Thus, a general object of the present invention is to provide a system for making packages including a packaging machine of form-fill-seal type which can be operated with high efficiency even in situations where different packaged items must be produced sequentially each by using a film and a former which have been correctly selected. Other specific objects of the invention will be described below.